Barbara J. Hamby

Greetings from Newly Green Southern California

Tomorrow I will return to sunshine (I hope). We have had very little of that in Oceanside the last week. I slept through the second electrical storm last night. Apparently it was not as severe as the first, which occurred earlier in the evening on Sunday.

My three sisters and I have had a wonderful time in spite of the weather. During sun breaks, or not, we have done some sightseeing. Old Town San Diego has changed a little in the years since I was last there, but not a lot. The best part was that the crowds really thin out in bad weather. Also, we were able to go there on the Coaster (train) and not have to drive in really bad traffic.

The most startling difference in this area, for me, is seeing the green hills and new ponds, rivers and streams.

We may have a meal at the Soup Plantation today, a favorite of mine in years past. We will see how that has changed. We had Mexican food in Old Town and “did” lunch yesterday at an Irish pub in Carlsbad.

When I return home, I will help my daughter make final arrangements for her father, my first husband, who died on Sunday. He and I were married fifty-four years ago this month. The marriage lasted only ten years, but produced his only daughter. Although he married four more times, he had no more children. My second husband and I were able to give Gail the little brother she had wanted for ten years. They are still very good friends, for which I am grateful.

This may be the only chance I get to post to the blog while I’m here, but I plan to get back to it by Friday.